Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Fresno / San Joaquin Valley

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Fresno / San Joaquin Valley? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Camp 4 Wine Cafe

5.0

5 (771)

$30 and under

Wine Bar

Modesto

About the restaurant

We are a small, locally owned wine cafe striving to provide great service, and great food in a comfortable atmosphere. Serving affordable wines from all over the world as well as panini, charcuterie, cheeses, and salads. We source both locally and internationally providing an array of options that you are sure to enjoy. We can't wait to see you.

Top review

Rachel

Dined 7 days ago

The service is always friendly and attentive, and they clearly care about making a connection with their guests. There are always friendly faces all around and the atmosphere in the main dining room is fantastic for a date night or gathering with friends.

Max's Bistro & Bar

4.8

4.8 (1674)

$30 and under

Bistro

Fresno

About the restaurant

Max’s is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the Central Valley. Our rustic California Cuisine and Gallery setting features local artist Tomas Panzarino. Max’s has welcomed Fresno visitors and our local neighbors for over 10 years. We are dedicated to using fresh local produce along with our house made artisan breads to insure a quality and healthy dining experience. The same quality and freshness is found in all the cocktails from our bar. Premium liquors, hand squeezed juices and muddled berries create our exceptional and award winning martini’s. We look forward to your visit!

Top review

Joey

Dined 3 days ago

Food was great. Server was quick and attentive. The drinks and apps came out in good time. Overall, it was a great dinner. I will definitely take my committee back here.

Verona Cucina Italiana

4.8

4.8 (655)

$30 and under

Italian

Modesto

About the restaurant

The freshest ingredients available are used in our classic Northern Italian recipes. We only use fresh seasonal fish -- never frozen. Our classical bolognese sauce is a favorite in the community.

Top review

Sharon

Dined 1 day ago

I love Veronas. It’s the best in town. I loved my tortellini but my friend ordered the sole ($34!). It hadn’t been crusted and looked pale, oily and anemic and only had a dot of the dill aoli. In the past it’s always come crusted in nuts or parm. This looked sad. Suggesting they crust it and serve it with a decent amount of sauce. She wasn’t happy with it.

Papapolloni Mediterranean Bistro

4.8

4.8 (99)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Modesto

About the restaurant

Using only the freshest ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, Papapolloni Mediterranean Bistro offers a wide variety of premium-quality Mediterranean & Italian food paired with great wines and cocktails in a beautiful setting located in Modesto California.

Top review

Cara

Dined on Nov 3, 2024

One of our favorite places to go in Modesto. The food is very good and the prices reasonable. Service has always been great.

Rainbird

4.8

4.8 (290)

$31 to $50

Californian

Merced

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of one of the most productive agricultural regions globally, chefs at El Capitan prepare artisanal fare and spirits that pay homage to the ranchers, farmers, cheesemakers, bakers, brewers, and winemakers that have re-fashioned Merced into one of California’s best kept epicurean secrets.

Top review

Michael

Dined 3 days ago

Nice experience, Savanah was attentive and helpful in negotiating the venues. Food was top tier. We will go again.

Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse - NE Fresno

4.8

4.8 (158)

$30 and under

Steakhouse

Fresno

About the restaurant

Step into a Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse restaurant, and it's like taking a trip to Lake Tahoe. Ultimately, it is the food at Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse that turns first-time restaurant visitors into long term guests. Our steaks are USDA, Midwest corn fed beef, cut thick and charbroiled over a cracklin almond wood fire. Our signature items, such as slow-roasted Joe's Steak, Railroad Camp Shrimp and the to-die-for homemade Nevada Cheesecake are favorites our guests crave and are only available at Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse. Our food is made from scratch using the finest ingredients to create an experience we call Sierra Mountain Dining. Our passion for quality food is the foundation for Tahoe Joe's success.

Top review

Tim and Pam

Dined 5 days ago

The food was great! Great service from Amy! She was the best waitress we have had in a long time!!!

Bistro 120

4.8

4.8 (65)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Oakdale

About the restaurant

We take pride in the art of culinary craftsmanship and our entirely from-scratch menu. We embrace the vibrant flavors of California while giving them a worldly flare, creating a delicate balance that feels both familiar and exotic all at once.

Top review

Rikki

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

We had the special, which was tomato basil soup and grilled cheese. It was hands-down the BEST grilled cheese I've ever had... seriously. The espresso martini was also delish. Our server was lovely and attentive. Overall it was a really great experience

Agave Azul Kitchen & Tequila Bar

4.7

4.7 (108)

$30 and under

Mexican

Modesto

About the restaurant

With a passion for family and food the Lujan sisters came together to open Agave Azul Kitchen & Tequila Bar in 2012. Their goal was to bring together a gathering of authentic Mexican home cooking that stuck to their roots. Their family originated from Zacatecas, Mexico and then came to Hughson, California to begin farming. With this heritage came recipes passed down from generation to generation. Food was the center of their life and growing up on a local farm allowed their family to cook at home with food grown on their land. Sandra and Gabby originally had the thought of opening Taqueria El Agave, but it quickly transformed into a full kitchen serving some of their favorite dishes such as pollo con crema y rajas. The unique thing about Agave Azul is their attention and focus to the quality of each of the ingredients that goes into their recipes and their commitment to never sacrificing on quality home grown ingredients.

Top review

Melissa

Dined 6 days ago

Great food and drinks. The service was also excellent every one from our server to the others who helped bring out our food and drinks. Overall a great place!

Braised Kitchen

4.5

4.5 (268)

$31 to $50

American

Tulare

About the restaurant

It's our mission to provide the community with clean, delicious food, from the soil all the way to your plate.

We fuse exquisite Latin American cuisine, classic French techniques, and California fresh cooking using locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Our commitment to quality and our passion for cooking allows us to deliver a bold, memorable dining experience.

We love what we do. The food we make reflects that.

Fresh dishes, great drinks, and a killer atmosphere. If that is what you are after, then our brick-and-mortar location is the place for you! We deliver the best fast-casual steak house experience around, and we can't wait to serve you.

Top review

MadisonT

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

Wonderful restaurant! The food and drinks are so delicious and the service is five star.

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Popular dish

Surf and Turf Skewers

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Fresno

3.9

3.9 (76)

$30 and under

American

Fresno

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we've continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ's a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ's to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we've put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven't just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it's because of them we're continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ's, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

Giovanni

Dined on Nov 23, 2024

It was a very pleasant and memorable experience. We were celebrating my birthday and our server Joseph was incredible. He had great customer service skills and made sure we had a great night the food was spectacular it came out fast and delicious.

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